Welcome to our inaugural Ketka newsletter! Just in time for the last days of summer fun before school kicks off again. Why not try something different this year, and make learning an adventure? How about discovering a way for kids to have fun, develop their brains, and cut screen time?
What is Ketka?
Ketka is a growing social impact company. Our goal is to help young minds grow, using the timeless, highly effective method of oral storytelling. What’s more, we are interactive
and will ultimately be screen free, setting imaginations free and promoting active listening.
We created Ketka while being part of the London based social impact incubator Zinc.vc . We have now been selected to be part of the UCL led: EDUCATE ; a pioneering accelerator helping EdTech companies embed sound research into their products from the outset.
We are creating a 21st century campfire…
What’s the story?
As we reach that ‘back to school’ time of year, we focus what’s far too often missing in mainstream education: thinking beyond letters and numbers. We want to make sure kids gain traditional academic knowledge but also cultivate confidence, creativity, collaborative working and concentration, enhance emotional intelligence, learn logic and listening, promote problem-solving, strengthen self-esteem & social skills, discover delightful languages and (best of all) have fun!
Top Tips for ‘back to school’ nerves
It’s normal!
School is just around the corner - where did the summer go? It’s entirely healthy for little (and big) people to get upset about the end of the summer and nervous about the routine and early mornings of school. Try to reassure them it’s perfectly sensible to feel sad about the end of summer, if they seem upset at the mention of ‘back to school’. It’s a sign of having had a lovely break! Maybe take a few minutes to plan an enjoyable day to look forward to in the near future together as a reminder the fun doesn’t stop just ‘cos school starts!Check in.
Feel free to ask how they’re feeling about school, but don’t necessarily load it with negativity. Try: ‘hey, it’s almost September, I wonder what this school year will be like?’ or ‘Ooh, it’s nearly time to see your friends again?’ Or perhaps reflect on something they like about school (what new books they might pick at the library etc). This will start the conversation in a fairly neutral fashion and hopefully leave room for your little one to express how they’re feeling. Or if you notice they are acting grumpy/irritable you could ask if they’re worried about school more directly. Remember: it’s normal.Do something ‘schooly’ and fun
. How about shopping for fun new stationery? There’s no need to buy anything fancy - you could decorate fairly plain items too. You can use this exciting time to talk about the teacher (‘I wonder what they will be like’, ‘Mrs X looks like a kind person’ etc), your own favourite teachers and what you liked about schoolPractise and prepare.
You don’t need a full on military style drill, but you can do small things like making sure bedtimes are closer to those of term-time (goodbye lazy summer evenings!), and plan your first yummy breakfast for the first day of school, and generally go over the school/home routine. How about using their favourite toys or characters to act out your versions of first day interactions? Feel free to throw in some whacky and entertaining characters - or feature a character that is nervous or shy but has a wonderful day. Get creative!Good luck, and all the best for coming school year! Why not relax with a Ketka story together? New stories about dealing with nerves coming up soon!
Get in touch and become part of our community
What were your favourite stories growing up?
We would love to hear from you at community@ketka.co.uk, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – we’ll keep you posted! We love to feature children’s drawings/models/comments/photos etc, inspired by Ketka and the world around them, so send them in (anonymous or otherwise)!
Sign up to be a tester - we would love to have you on board!
Watch this space
Future issues will feature top tips for parents and carers, updates on the Ketka journey, expert interviews (child psychologists, psychiatrists, teachers, parents, academics, writers and more!) , the latest research and ‘meet the team’. Be sure to sign up!
So say goodbye to mindless, passive staring at screens, and why not try out some of our prototype stories? Where will your story take you?
Sign up to be a tester now. Help shape our story.
In the mean time, tell your friends and family if you think they’ll be interested!
Thank you
The Ketka team